Everett Dietrick outlined five key features of integrated pest management (IPM) in 1969:
1. Avoid disruptive pesticides to protect beneficial insects and develop pest resistance. Use softer pesticides and selective applications.
2. Build refuges like cover crops and field borders to provide habitat for beneficial insects.
3. Monitor fields to understand relationships between pests and natural enemies and determine treatment thresholds.
4. Develop cultural practices like crop rotation and harvesting techniques that utilize pest and natural enemy behaviors.
5. Release beneficial organisms at early seasons to suppress pests below economic damage levels over time.